OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 4, 2009) - The Ottawa Senators today announced they have acquired goaltender Pascal Leclaire and a second-round pick in the 2009 entry draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Antoine Vermette.

Leclaire, 26, is in his fourth full season in the NHL. In 12 games, he has four wins, six losses and one overtime loss with a 3.83 goals-against average and .867 save-percentage. He has missed the last 23 games and another seven games in late October and November to an ankle injury.

Seeing the most action in a season in 2007-08, Leclaire registered a 24-17-6 record with 2.25 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and nine shutouts in 54 games with Columbus. He was second in the NHL in shutouts. Leclaire helped Canada win the silver medal at the 2008 IIHF Men's World Championship.

Leclaire played four seasons of junior hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, spending three with the Halifax Mooseheads and finishing with the Montreal Rocket in 2001-02. He was Columbus's first-round pick, eighth overall, in the 2001 entry draft. Leclaire played parts of four seasons from 2002 to 2006 with Columbus' American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, recording 37 wins and 45 losses over 101 games.

In his fifth season with the Senators and in the NHL, Vermette has nine goals, 19 assists and 28 penalty minutes in 62 games.

In 359 career games with Ottawa, Vermette has recorded 80 goals, 87 assists and 205 penalty minutes. In 38 career playoff games, he has scored four goals, added four assists and registered 18 penalty minutes. Vermette was Ottawa's second-round pick, 55th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.